What if
by Shadowed Horizon
Summary: What if Rusty had never left his Twolegs, if Spottedleaf had lived? What if Scourge had survived, and Blood really had ruled the forest? A "What If" AU. Edited by Tainted Shadow Rebel
1. Dying Flames

**Hi, it's me again! The idea of a 'What If' story came up and I just had to write it. Thank you to Tainted Shadow Rebel for reading over this, and who is now the editor of this story :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. -sob-**

**_What if...Rusty had never left his Twolegs?_**

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Rusty opened his mouth to scent the breeze. _Mouse!_ He dropped into a low crouch, getting ready to spring. But then another smell distracted him. The smell of…

Rusty blinked his eyes opened and yawned. The dream had been realistic, but it wasn't…interesting. He would much rather play with Smudge and all his other friends. Rusty lifted his head off the side of his kitty bed, making the bell on his collar ring. He winced at the noise, then got up and padded over to his food dish. It looked so unappetizing, unlike the mouse in Rusty's dream.

But wait. That creature was alive. He'd have to kill the poor thing and then eat it. It was so much easier just to prance up to your food bowl, lower you head and munch. Besides, what would he do without water? The puddles outside would be much too dirty to drink out of. Sure, the water he got tasted pretty bad, but at least he knew it was safe to drink.

Having finished eating, the ginger-pelted tom pushed his way out of the cat flap and into his house folks' yard. Rusty inhaled deeply and lazily dropped backward, waving his paws in the air. After a bit, he heard a throaty purr and turned his head. Instantly, Rusty jumped to his paws and trotted over the carefully clipped grass to the next yard. 'Smudge!' he cried joyfully. He and the other cat, a plump and friendly black-and-white tom, touched noses.

Soon, the two friends were playing, chasing each other around and play-fighting. As the night wore on, more and more stars appeared. Rusty stopped play-fighting and looked up at the sky. Smudge sat beside him and cocked his head quizzically. 'Whatcha lookin' at, Rusty?' Rusty just continued gazed upward, eyes misty and distant. 'Rusty?' Smudge waved a paw in his face. No answer.

Smudge sighed and sat down on Rusty's tail. Suddenly, Rusty screeched and jerked his head up. Pleased, Smudge stepped off of his friend's tail and licked a paw. A call from Smudge's garden made the black-and-white cat waddle away. 'Bye, Rusty!'

Rusty looked at his friend and waved his tail in farewell. Smudge disappeared into his own garden and Rusty looked back toward the stars. He began to shiver violently, and finally, he tore his gaze away from the sky and bounded back to his house.

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_'Come…come to us…' _

Rusty jolted awake and looked around in terror. It was the same voice he'd heard the previous night. They were urging him to go…where? The stars, but how?

_'Come to the forest…'_

Rusty jumped, and without a second thought, leaped up the stairs to his house folks' kit. The kit was sleeping, but as Rusty patted its form, it woke up and brought him onto the bed. Rusty curled up next to its feet and tried to go back to sleep.

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Rusty was at the edge of his territory, the boundary between his yard and the forest. Warm, enticing smells flowed out of the trees and wafted about his nose. The tom leaned forward, paw poised to take a step toward the forest. But another sense pricked at his fur; the sense of security. How could he know that where he was going would be safe? At least in his nest, he knew what to expect, he knew what was there.

And the forest…a light suddenly flared, soft and welcoming, and a path, starting just in front of his paws, wound its way through the trees. Rusty looked longingly at the path. But then he looked behind him. His house folk's kit was standing there, looking at him pleadingly. Rusty's uncertain gaze switched between his home and the warm forest.

_'Decide…there is not much time left…'_

The voice swirled around his head and the forest, path and house folk disappeared.

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His collar felt hot around his neck. Rusty walked around the house slowly, taking in every aspect.

The kitchen: where his bed, food and water were. If he went to the forest, where would his food be? It'd be everywhere, hiding in little crevices, waiting to be caught. But every creature that he caught would be diminishing the amount of prey in the forest…

The bedroom: where the house folk slept. They were so kind and gentle, Rusty couldn't bear the thought of leaving them. What would he do without their care? He would die, that's what.

Rusty continued his tour of the house, mulling over the forest. Should he go, should he stay…should he go, should he stay…should he go, should he… Tired, Rusty flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes.

He was back in the forest. This time, there was no path, and the welcoming light was gone. But something drew him in, so without hesitating, Rusty padded into the forest.

As he walked, his eyes grew wider and wider at the marvels about him. Grass, ferns and flowers of varieties he'd never seen before grew so thickly that Rusty felt they would make a more comfortable bed than his kitty bed. A light breeze played about Rusty's fur, and he stopped, afraid that the bell on his collar would ring out and alert something vicious to his whereabouts. But when the tom looked down, he only saw his flaming ginger pelt free of his house folks' mark. Rusty grinned and continued onward.

Here and there, a mouse or vole scuttled by, their enticing scent drifting up his nostrils. Songbirds called to each other, their melodius voices echoing through the trees. Leaves fell around him, covering the ground in a flurry of red, orange and gold. It was breath-takingly beautiful.

Suddenly, Rusty stopped. In front of him lay a tunnel of gorse, and beyond that came the smells of many cats, and the sounds of busy paws reached his ears. He was hesitant of placing a paw inside the tunnel, as he didn't know what he would encounter. Still, something told him that he had nothing to fear, and so he tentatively entered.

The ginger tom could not repress a gasp, for in front of him a huge number of cats. Some looked up and smiled warmly at him, others flicked their tails in greeting. Rusty looked behind him, wondering if there was someone behind him. No one there.

Rusty blinked his eyes open. The dream had been so _vivid_… A thought struck him. Was that what life would be like if he left his housefolk? Rusty gulped; the place he'd live in looked so insecure, so unsafe.

_'Have you decided?'_

Rusty hissed indignantly; the voice seemed to always be there in his waking world.

_'Well?'_

'What's it to you?' Rusty snarled.

The air vibrated with the voice's chuckle. _'What's it to us? You are destined to save the clan…'_

Rusty was confused for a split second, but soon regained his composure. 'Why me? All I ever wanted was to live a peaceful life with my house folk and friends! And _you_ come along, trying to ruin my life. _I WON'T GO AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!_' His last words transformed into a yowl.

_'This is your final choice?'_

'It is,' Rusty growled. 'So _leave me alone_.'

The voice disappeared. Rusty found himself panting, his hackels raised and claws unsheathed. A loud thumping noise behind him made the tom spin around, hissing. A moment later he relaxed as the form of the little house folk came running in. It smoothed back Rusty's fur and cooed softly.

Rusty loosened his muscles and leaned against the hand that was rubbing him affectionately.

_I can finally live my life in peace…  
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Redtail sank to the ground in defeat, eyes clouded with pain. 'No,' he whispered. Now that the fire would never come, the clan - and forest - would fall apart. Tigerclaw would achieve his ambitions. The tom shook uncontrollably at the thought of his beloved clan in the paws of his murderer.

A pretty white she-cat came up to the grieving warrior and lay down beside him, trying to calm him. 'It's okay, Redtail...it's okay. Tigerclaw won't succeed--'

The tortoiseshell's tail bristled furiously and the hackles on his neck rose. He snarled up at the she-cat, 'You're _wrong_, Snowfur! Nothing stands in Tigerclaw's way now!'

There was nothing Bluestar's sister could say to that. Both fallen warriors could only watch hopelessly as the cat who could have been the saviour of the clans grew old and died as a kittypet. They could only watch painfully and their beloved clan was shattered, and many friends joined them in the starry afterlife. And they could only watch as the forest they loved was torn apart brutally...all by the force of one ambitious warrior: Tigerclaw.

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**Yay! There was no Firestar, and Tigerstar ruled. Tell me if you liked it or not. Flames will be used to burn your sorry excuse for a person. Tell me what you want next, and the most popular one will be put up next! Review!!!  
--Cloudfire**


	2. Failed Prophecy

**Sorry, I would have put this up sooner, but my editor hasn't said anything. **

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A white-furred queen picked her way delicately across the clearing and called into a stone cleft, 'Spottedleaf!'

For a heartbeat, nothing stirred, but then a torotiseshell figure stepped out of the den. 'Yes, Frostfur?' Her voice was smooth and soft, and her neat ears pricked forward to hear the message.

'Bluestar wants to see you right away.'

Spottedleaf nodded thanks to the queen and bounded away. She stopped outside the rock near the centre of the clearing, and sat down beside the thick curtain of lichen. 'Bluestar,' she called respectfully, and waited for an answering mew before stepping inside. Past the lichen, it turned out the rock was hollow, so the cavern was quite spacious, at least for one cat. For two, it began to get a tad squishy. Nevertheless, it was comfortable.

The floor was sandy, but it was warm, and Spottedleaf settled down with a soft sigh of pleasure. Her leader was already seated majestically on her bed of soft moss. Bluestar was a blue-gray queen, and her eyes were a piercing ice-blue. An ugly scar parted the fur on her left shoulder, and her build was strong.

The leader began by fixing the medicine cat with a hard stare. 'Spottedleaf, are you sure that StarClan told you that fire would save the clan?'

The tortoiseshell inclined her pretty head. 'Yes, Bluestar, I am sure. StarClan do not lie.'

'You don't know what they mean by that, seeing as fire is feared by all?'

'I don't. But I just know that-' Spottedleaf broke off, her muzzle tucked into her chest fur and her fur bristling. Bluestar sat instantly alert, all senses narrowed to this one cat. As soon as Spottedleaf seemed to resurface, she snapped, 'Well? Was is a sign from StarClan?'

'Yes, but…it….'

'The fire?' The medicine cat nodded hesitantly, but Bluestar was not intending to let the tortoiseshell be let alone. 'Well? Is StarClan sending another prophecy, are they saying the fire will destroy the clan?'

Spottedleaf took a breath and shook her head quickly but firmly. 'No, I think they're saying that the fire won't come to save us.' Her gaze grew dark yet dreamy as she tried to uncover the meaning. 'The fire…it seemed to be small, uncertain, then it seemed to grow brighter…until something came and drove it back until I couldn't even see a spark. I don't know, it just seemed so…' Spottedleaf shook her head again, as if to clear her thoughts before rushing on: 'The fire won't come. That I'm sure of, so we have to face our troubles alone.'

Bluestar sat stiff, her eyes never leaving the medicine cat's. 'This "trouble" you speak of, will it be from the other clans?'

'Honestly, Bluestar, I don't know,' Spottedleaf sighed. 'There will be the usual border skirmishes, but I don't think anything major will happen, it's just unlikey.'

Bluestar nodded thoughtfully, then straightened up and mewed, 'Very well. You may go.' Spottedleaf dipped her head respectfully and stood up to leave. As she turned away from her leader, Bluestar spoke again. 'Oh, Spottedleaf. Tell no one about his. I trust that the first prophecy has not been revealed?'

Spottedleaf's amber eyes locked onto her leader's blue ones. 'Of course.'

Redtail fidgeted uncomfortably by a small pool of starry water. Snowfur was beside him once more, and this time the queen said nothing to ease his obvious pain. The two sat in silence before Snowfur finally murmered, 'This hurts you.'

Her companion looked at her, long and hard. For another stretching silence, the two cats held gazes, then Redtail finally dropped his eyes. 'Yes, Snowfur, it does. It does.' His voice was hoarse and it cracked frequently. Snowfur almost winced to hear him speak; it was first time he'd done so since the failure with the "bringing fire to the forest". Since StarClan knew that only this kittypet, Rusty, could be the saviour of the clans, they'd sent the dream that Rusty had had to the medicine cat of ThunderClan, only replacing the cat with a ball of fire. His will to turn his back on the forest was represented by a dark whoosh of…something.

It was obvious that the former deputy was aching to invade the firey kittypet's dreams and force him, using any means to make him change his mind and go to forest. Redtail, however, knew the consequences, or potential dangers of force if he had managed to succeed. There was the chance that Rusty (whom Redtail had taken to calling "Rusted-dung", whenever the kittypet was mentioned) would turn against the wills of the prophecy and, believing Tigerclaw's lies of how he was always shunned in some ways, join the dark tabby. So, the tortoiseshell decided against it.

Still, he couldn't help but suddenly voice some idea he'd just got, then trail off, muttering to himself, how the plan would not work, or where it needed fixing, and Snowfur, who tried to be almost always by his side, would watch her friend sadly, shaking her head all the while.

Suddenly, the water rippled. The white she-cat snapped her gaze from the tom and looked at the image of the cat crystalising in the water. The face of her sister blinked up at her, and Snowfur sighed. She stole a glance at Redtail, murmered, 'I'll be back soon' and dipped a paw into the shining water and vanished.

The news troubled Bluestar deeply. After she had sent away her medicine cat, she had sat deep in thought. The leader decided to confront StarClan about the matter. She closed her eyes, and almost immediately the warmth of sleep enveloped her mind. There was a white cat waiting for her. Her heart filled with a mild grief, for this was her deceased sister. The two touched noses, and Bluestar turned to her sister. Before she could state her purpose, Snowfur cut her off and meowed, 'I know why you've come. And I'm going to explain everything, even though StarClan does not wish it.'_  
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End file.
